NGD: Guild X 170

SedanDelivery

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
39
Reaction score
48
Guild Total
2
Greetings, I am new to the forum. I recently bought a Guild X 170 from Brad Little here. I'm a lifelong player of mostly acoustic music, but I have always had electrics too. (I have one tele which I really like (though I want to switch out the neck pickup.)) I'm in college studying music (I'm the token "old guy" surrounded by 20-somethings). I have been studying with an instructor using the William Leavitt guitar method book. I noticed that the accompanying videos for the Leavitt Book feature Larry Baione, chair of Berklee college of music. Baione was playing a Guild X 170 in the video. I had only been dimly aware of Guild (Fender and Gibson get so much attention). But that thing looked cool, even though Baione was only playing acoustically. For some reason I decided I wanted to buy one. So I bought Brad's.

It arrived in terrific shape (my friend said it looks "new." I said "new to me."). I put Pure blues pure nickel .11's on it.

TBH I was expecting dulcet jazzy sounds but have getting everything but those. Its been hard not to get delicious crunchy rock and blues sounds out of it. The pickups are really sweet. So crunchy. I'm sure I can get clean sounds out of it but it wants to be dirty. Haha. I really like the short scale. This will rival the tele in my affections. I slightly -- kind of wish it were a sunburst, but the blonde is growing on me. The black pickguard and bridge and the gold HB1s really suit it.

I've been playing it at church where normally I play acoustic. The congregation likes the change. The sound guys like the change too. They didn't enjoy mic-ing my acoustic. They liked micing my amp.
 

Attachments

  • FullSizeRender.jpeg
    FullSizeRender.jpeg
    397.1 KB · Views: 117
Last edited:

Norrissey

Senior Member
Platinum Supporting
Joined
Jul 22, 2021
Messages
1,142
Reaction score
1,305
Location
Southern California
Guild Total
9
Congrats on the X-170! Looks really nice. I'm curious what year that is? The X-170 shipped with 3 different pickup models over the years. Initially it shipped with the classic Guild HB-1s which can play very clean and should be great for jazz. The next pickups (mid-'90s) were SD-1s which is what my '97 X-170 has and those are definitely more warm and bluesey. (I'm guessing this is what your guitar has) In the late '90s they shipped with Fender humbuckers.
 

SedanDelivery

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
39
Reaction score
48
Guild Total
2
Thanks for the welcome. It's an '88. I think they are the HB1's. I'm sure they can get more clean. I've just been enjoying rocking out with it :).
 

GGJaguar

Reverential Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
21,313
Reaction score
31,401
Location
Skylands
Guild Total
49
Beautiful guitar, congrats! I think the X-170 (and de-blinged X-160) is one of Guild's most versatile electric guitars. Enjoy!
 

SedanDelivery

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
39
Reaction score
48
Guild Total
2
Thanks. Say, what amp/s would you guys recommend for a guitar like this, or what amps do you use for these types of guitar?
 

shihan

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
1,540
Reaction score
796
Location
Ventura CA
Welcome and congratulations on getting such a beautiful guitar. X-170’s are an inspired design, great for any type of music.
when I had one, it sounded heavenly through my old Deluxe Reverb, or Princeton Reverb.
good luck in your amp quest.
 

Boneman

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
1,358
Reaction score
1,624
Guild Total
6
HNGD! and happy rocking! :)
 

HeyMikey

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
5,417
Reaction score
4,729
Location
MA
Guild Total
9
Welcome Sedan! That is one sweet X-170. Gorgeous maple. I but you will figure out how to manipulate those HB1’s for a multitude of styles.
 

Brad Little

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
4,611
Reaction score
2,001
Location
Connecticut
Yeah, if your guitar is an '88 has HB-1s for sure. Sweet! Glad you're enjoying it. I enjoy that neck mounted at the 14th fret. Lines up just right with my acoustics and my Starfire 2s.
Yep, definitely an '88, I was the first and only previous owner, no alterations over the years and very little playing time. I bought it to use in a duo that was going to do mostly standards and a few 50s oldies, but my partner literally had a breakdown. For all I know he may still be institutionalized (probably had something to do with Guild envy, he had a PacRim Epi archtop!),
 

Rickenmaxer

Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2014
Messages
105
Reaction score
107
Guild Total
4
I love a good wood grain and that's very nice. I bet those HB1s sound great. I'm partial to X170s myself...it's a very comfortable, feels-just-right guitar.
 
Top